Attendance at the conventions held over the Fourth of July weekend are always low. I'm guessing there were quite a few people who decided to go a week early so they could do something else over the upcoming three day weekend.
Standing Room Only at Tulsa District Convention
by darthfader 41 Replies latest jw friends
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sacolton
I know Oklahoma City congregations were sent to Tulsa ... including those in the surrounding area (Shawnee, Tecumseh, Poteau, etc). I'm sure with Kansas it was simply overbooked and a huge disservice to all. I have never (in my 10 years) seen a convention center completely filled. There is always several sections that are "off limits" or empty. They (Watchtower) simply wanted to fill as much seating as possible with NO REGARDS to the capacity.
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RubaDub
Tulsa is probably more interesting than some other locations; happens all the time as the DC = 95% Vacation
Simon Morley ...
Not to question your well-thought-out comment, but I guess I missed the "interesting" part about Tulsa ... or for that matter Oklahoma in general.
Maybe it's me, but if I was planning on a vacation, I'm not sure Tulsa would be on my radar. I only drove through Oklahoma and Kansas once, but what I saw was generally not interesting at all, especially to call it a vacation.
Rub a Dub
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CuriousButterfly
Usually any convention that is prior to the 4th of July weekend will be mobbed. Most have vacation plans. Mine is on the 4th. :(
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sacolton
Very true, CuriousButterfly! In fact, many people don't go to THEIR ASSIGNED DC, but go to the one that has their friends and family attending. Happens all the time! Very true about attending a DC that is not on a holiday weekend (to free up a 3-day weekend with a real vacation).
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WTWizard
I hope this was just bad planning or lots of people not going to the one they were assigned to. All it takes is one facility that has a capacity of around 7,500 and about 15,000 assigned to other sessions showing up, and you are going to have this problem. Even so, it is always a bad sign when I hear of one of these wastefests being packed to capacity, since it means a stadium full of witlesses that are going to waste the weekend listening to "a generation" being the group of people whose lives intersect with those who saw 1914.
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techdotcom
There was parking if you wanted to walk for a half mile or so. And there was some seating that I saw. I'm guessing they turned around after seeing how packed it was and went home?
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fokyc
Some years ago, I remember, Twickenham UK was just like that, it was miserable!
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blondie
There was a time back when I was a young teenager when convention assignments were nonexistent or very lax. But then I can remember they were larger, at larger facilities, numbering from 30 to 50,000 attendees and were in larger cities that could accommodate the lodging (that was back in the days of rooming too). People would go where family attended, were close to vacation sites, or was a leisurely trip from home and saw things along the way. I can remember driving from around Portland to Pasadena one year and others having to drive from the Midwest US to Winnepeg. The WTS carefully schedules these now and they should work except that many jws are not OBEDIENT and attend where they are not assigned. There is a reason that only the loding in the assigned areas are available from the service overseer. Disobedient jws have to show their hand or make their own lodging arrangments directly with the hotels.
I can remember when the conventions for half of one state was in Cicero, Illinois, and the white jws felt that was a dangerous place and traveled north and overloaded the convention there. There was a special talk given in the congregations never to do that again.
I remember the days when saving seats was a real issue because more attended than now. I'm sure this experience was deja vu for many older jws.
Blondie
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